Improvement in feed-water heaters for steam fire-engines



J. VANDEV'ELDE.

Feed-Water Heaters foAr Steam Fire-Engines.

N0 147,081, PatentedFeb.s.1874.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN YANDEVELDE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN FEED-WATER HEATERS FOR STEAM FIRE-ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 147,081, dated February 3, 1874; application tiled Jure 20, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN VANnEvELDE, of Cleveland, Ohio, have invented a new Water-Heater to be Attached to Boilers of Steam Fire-Engines, of which the following is a specification: l

The object of my invention is to provide ameans of keeping the water at a boiling tempera-turc inthe boiler of a steam reengine, by combining with the boiler a subhea-ter, whereby the water in said boiler is kept hot without the iire in the fire-box of the steamer being used, and in such a manner that when the steamer leaves the house the iire in the steamer may be lighted, and steam be immediately generated for use, thereby saving the time necessary to heat the water for steam, and is also accomplished at much less expense of fuel than would be necessary for keeping up the iire in the steamer for that purpose.

The sub-heater is located at some convenient place in the house, and is so connected with the steamer that when the steamerleaves her place the connecting-pipes immediately separate, and, by a peculiar arrangement of valves in the pipes, the detached ends are all immediately closed.

The following is a full description of its construction and operation.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical sectional view of my aforementioned heater. Fig. 2 is a top view, with the dome removed, in line w :1; of Fie'. 1. Fig. 3 is a detached and enlarged view of the valves in the pipes which connect the steamer with the heater.

reaching up through the top of the dome l),

and is covered by a removable cap, G. This cylinder forms a fuel-magazine for feeding the fire-box. Yertically through the boiler A,

also, are draft-fines Il H, encircling the magazine, connecting the tire-box B with the chamber under the dome D. l is a tank containing water for feeding the boiler A, which stands on a level with the top of the boiler. From the bottom of said tank is a pipe, J, connecting it with the lower part of the boiler, by which water is conducted to the boiler. A pipe, K, connects the top of the boiler with the top of the tank, through which the hot water from the boiler passes to the tank. This tank is provided as a means of circulation for the water in the boiler when the steamer is detached. Q is a pipe connecting the top ot' the boiler A with the upper part of the water in boiler ofthe steamer. 1t is apipe, also connecting the lower part ofthe water in the boiler A with the lower part of the steamers boiler. These pipes Q, and It are arranged to break connection, when the steamer leaves the house, by an arrangement of check-valves S and T, provided with passages controlled by valvebuttons T t, which closes them when disconnected. The check-valves S and T are illustrated, on a larger scale, in section in Fig. 3. At U, Fig. 3, will be seen the place of connection, which is made by a pipe, V, entering the shell of the valve T, and which reaches under the valve-seat, and pushes and holds up the valve-button t, and this keeps the passage always open. But when the pipe V is withdrawn the button t falls of its own gravity, and closes the passage. These valves are arranged in re. verse order in the two pipes Q It, in accordance with the course in which the water flows.

\'Vhen these connections are made, the heated water rises, and iiows through the pipe Q into the boiler of the steamer; and the cold water passes downward, through pipe lt, to the lower part of boiler A, and thus a steady circulation is kept up, and the water in the steamer-s boiler kept hot.

Then the steamer is disconnected from the boiler A, the tank I is brought into use, there being a valve, L, in the pipe K, which is set with a spring, and which, when the pressure of steam arises at a given point, lifts the valve, and exhausts into thetauk. Acheck-valve, J in the pipe J, also yielding, conducts the cold water into the boiler.

In ease the steampressnre becomes great, a

safety-valve, l), is provided, in connection with a pipe, M, which passes down into the smokechaniber, and connects with a circular pipe, N, l ying over the draft-ihres H H, and having small open pipes leading down a short distance in said lues. The object of this is that, if the pressure of steam in the tank arises to a given point, the valve l) opens, and the steam blows down the ilues, and puts out or reduces the fire. 'By this means the heater -regulates itself.

A small pipe, W, is provided, to convey a draft ot air to the top of the nrc-box, to consume the gas.

Havin g thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

`JOHN VANDEVELDE.

Witnesses ARTHUR A. GAVANAII, HENRY B. SEYMOUR. 

